Tower Strut Brace Recommendations

[golffnutt]

Still looking for models and sources to buy a quality strut tower brace for my 1996 ES300. I have looked at the ones on ebay and they are all cheap in price therefore scare me regarding quality. I want a quality brace. Can anyone please furnish me with recommended models including brand names and also furnish me with sources of where to buy? Thank you so much for your time and help.

[SKperformance]

they are all made in the saem factory in taiwan.

[golffnutt]

they are all made in the saem factory in taiwan.

←

Are you saying the $5 braces on Ebay are as good as the ones selling for $100? I find that hard to believe but then again this is why I am doing the research as I know nothing about these bars from a quality standpoint.

[SKperformance]

Look at all the pics they are the exact same.

Unless their is another company making them i have not seen them besides the vibrant/ractive style ones.

The trd one does not fit though

[golffnutt]

they are all made in the saem factory in taiwan.

←

Are you saying the $5 braces on Ebay are as good as the ones selling for $100? I find that hard to believe but then again this is why I am doing the research as I know nothing about these bars from a quality standpoint.

←

I appreciate the feedback but I find it hard to believe the cheaper ones are made of material that is as stiiff as the better ones in order for the part to do its job which is add stability to handling particularyly when cornering. Maybe they do but I need recommendations from those who have bought the cheap ones and are happy with their performance. Not saying your comments aren't accurate but have you actually tried one of the Ebay bars? If so please tell me what you found out. Again I really appreciate you reply but its going to take more than one opinion to convince me to buy one, whether it is cheap or expensive. Thanks again for your help.

[SKperformance]

who else makes the ebay ones?

who makes $100 ones?

Ebay works like this

a distributer who is an "E" company makes large orders from the basment of their house from taiwan companies.

They now get cheap product with little over head.

UPS comes to their door to pick up and ship everything.

They have no employees no store front no warehouse.( they all say they do)

So you pay a large handling fee, since they sell the product for next to nothing with a crazy markup on the handling fee for shipping.

Unless you are buying a real brand name bar like JIC,Cusco stillen their is no difference in any of them.

[golffnutt]

Look at all the pics they are the exact same.

Unless their is another company making them i have not seen them besides the vibrant/ractive style ones.

The trd one does not fit though

←

Again I go back to my question to you before, are you speaking from direct experience having used one of the cheap bars and also having used one of the more expensive bars and compared the two? I understand and know what you mean about basement manufacturers, trust me, I have not been a National Sales Manager of Consumer Products for manufacturers for 30 years for nothing. I know and understand mark ups and margins to the inth degree. Unless you have personally tried and compared the inexpensive to the expensive version I just do not think you are qualified to say one is as good as the other. Please do not take this personal or the wrong way, this is just how I feel and nothing is going to change that, hope you understand. Maybe I will try one of the cheap bars, I certainly wouldn't have much to lose, money wise that it, but I would still like a few more opinions. Thanks again for your input.

[Toysrme]

Sk is correct. It doesn't matter where you get it from, they *all* are crap, designed to make "un-enlightened"(N.O.) people buy them to turn a massive profit.

I recommend not buying one at all. It's a bling modification.It has no performance bearing. A strut bar gives that last 1% handling/feel increase after you've spent a couple thousand on coil overs, sway bars, and tires.

Trust me... You can't *buy* a strut tower bar strong enough to work on this car ready made. They simply do not exist. All of them are not only so weak, that they simply bend with the chassis (without doing crap), but they use something around a 5/16" studs so they can be "adjustable", and fit many cars.

Not to mention, there are only a hand full that won't bump the upper intake manifold every time the engine/transmission rocks. (throttle position change, gear change, acceleration, deceleration) (Even with good mounts)

Yes guys that's correct... That $15-$250 5lb stick of weak metal (or even worse carbon fiber... God don't get me started) is *really* going to help the two 60lb frame crossmembers that the engine sits on. (N.O again)

Skip the strut bar is my vote!

If you're looking for handling, start with a rear sway bar. Whiteline, or TRD. I like Whiteline. Top notch stuff!

Want a strut tower brace that works??? Then swap in an i4 out of a Camry so there is engine bay room and weld a solid bar in between them! <_<

[SKperformance]

I agree and disagree

I like a strut bar for what it is worth.

The mcv chasisis soft and it definatly stiffens it up.

The style they make now is a round tube ,i have a wide flat rod which can take more torsion.

All the other bars from no name companies are the same for this application.

I worked for toucan industries (ractive,roadboy,eurolite and others) for a while as part of the marketing r&d sales team.

The parts are all the same i know the companies slapping their names on the parts all from the same factory ,their is no difference as they are made the exact same.

BTW no carbon fibre strut bar is carbon fibre they are all aluminum with a carbon wrap over them.CF cannot take that kind of movement which you already know

[SnesleyWipes]

Golfnutt, I have an Aspec bar that retails for more on the website, but I bought on ebay for around $2.00 + $16.99 shipping lol. Anyway, it only clears the engine by 1-2mm which is too close for my taste so I am still in search for one with more clearance. But I do notice a difference in handling. If I drive @ 35mph without it and jerk the wheel in either direction, there is a noticable delay in the jerk of the wheel and the actual turn in the car. However, with the bar installed, if I jerk the wheel, the actual response time is undetectable. I have not actually investigated the bars performance at high speeds, but that is what I notice when it is installed. They all claim to be manufactured from high quality billet aluminum, same as aircraft <_<, but serve there purpose. I bought 18" rims and expect to receive them in about 3 weeks so I believe this will have the same performance effect on cornering as the bar so I will probably not reinstall it.

My $.02,

Snes

[golffnutt]

Golfnutt, I have an Aspec bar that retails for more on the website, but I bought on ebay for around $2.00 + $16.99 shipping lol.  Anyway, it only clears the engine by 1-2mm which is too close for my taste so I am still in search for one with more clearance.  But I do notice a difference in handling.  If I drive @ 35mph without it and jerk the wheel in either direction, there is a noticable delay in the jerk of the wheel and the actual turn in the car.  However, with the bar installed, if I jerk the wheel, the actual response time is undetectable.  I have not actually investigated the bars performance at high speeds, but that is what I notice when it is installed.  They all claim to be manufactured from high quality billet aluminum, same as aircraft  <_<, but serve there purpose.  I bought 18" rims and expect to receive them in about 3 weeks so I believe this will have the same performance effect on cornering as the bar so I will probably not reinstall it. 

My $.02,

Snes

←

Thanks guys for all the great input, I think you have convinced me I do not need this add on. I really appreciate your time and responses.

Golfnut